Search Engines and Blogs

Over on Grokdotcom, there's an excellent article about The Search Engine's Love Affair with Blogs by Juan Tornoe. As Tornoe points out, and we've said many times ourselves, "search engines love blogs." And Tornoe goes on to say, it's not as simple as it sounds:

First, there's the issue of relevance. A blog won’t magically give you a top ranking position on Google, Yahoo! or the like. The content your blog has, the frequency with which such content is being updated, and the amount of relevant incoming links to your site are some of the factors that will make-or-break the effectiveness of your weblog.

Don’t add a blog to your site if you're not willing to consistently invest time and effort. An outdated blog will reflect the opposite image of whatever it is you want potential customers to know about your company.

That second paragraph (the emphasis is mine) is key. When we speak to prospects looking to add a blog to their marketing mix, we emphasize this point along with the following point that a blog that's not consistently update has the same effect as a storefront with broken windows and no inventory. It's not good for your business image.

It bears repeating that a business blog is a marketing tool and like any other tactic you use to market your business, it must be done consistently and professionally to get the results you want.

Juan Tornoe's article is excellent so do read it when you get a chance.

Comments

[Mary Ann]

Can you point me to some evidence/stats of how blogs help a business? What notable companies have blogs? Thanks! :)

[Blog Angel Team (Joanna)]

I'm with you that blogs need to be kept up to date or you're better off not having one. It is a big commitment of time (and energy) for small business owners though, and I think a lot of people blog too much to begin with then fall by the wayside. Better to get into a regular, sustainable rhythm if you can.

Just wondering how often and how regularly you recommend updating a blog - is once a week sufficient?

Joanna

[Jason Meyer]

I have read through your comments, but I am having a difficult time getting ranked by google or any other search engine...

Most of my business is not done through e-commerce. But I am absolutely convinced that I can grow via the internet. I have started my own blog on blogspot.com etc...however how often should one blog on there own site? Can you do it too much? What else can be done to effectively and cost effectively?

[Martin Cole]

How true...."Don’t add a blog to your site if you're not willing to consistently invest time and effort". It takes me about 3 hours each week to work on each of my blogs. That is more time than most bloggers are willing to commit

[Shane Kane - TitleSuccess.com]

If you want your blog to be successful you must put out solid content on a consistent basis. This can only be accomplished through hard work and dedication.

[Jason Meyer]

How or what is the best way to get more quality links to your website? I have been doing some Google searches in my industry (facility maintenance, etc.) but it looks like most places want to charge for such service....

Thanks for your prior reply!

Happy New Year!
Jason Meyer
President
JayTam, Inc.